Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (23)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Owen, R J
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Owen, R J
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Medical Bulletin 54:17-30 (1998)
© 1998 The British Council

research-article

Helicobacter - species classification and identification

R J Owen

Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Central Public Health Laboratory London, UK

Correspondence to: Dr R. J. Owen, Helicobacter Reference Unit, Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Central Public Health Laboratory, 61 Colindale Av., London NW9 5HT, UK

Abstract

The genus Helicobacter was created in 1989 with H. pylori as the type species. Since then the genus has expanded to include about 18 species. Some species were reclassified from Campylobacter, but most were newly discovered microorganisms from gastric or intestinal sites in mammalian host animals. The essential property of almost all helicobacters is the presence of sheathed flagella. Most species possess strong ureolytic ability, particularly those associated with gastric mucosa, and exhibit considerable diversity in cell morphology with respect to cell length, number and location of flagella, and presence of periplasmic fibrils. H. pylori has a global distribution and infects human gastric mucosa exclusively but there is some evidence for infection in cats. Genomes of isolates from different individuals are unusual in their diversity in gene order and sequences within individual genes. ‘H. heilmannii’ is another gastric spiral shaped organism less frequently infection humans but commonly found in cat and dog gastric tissue. H. felis is important in the mouse model of infection. A range of conventional phenotypic tests as well as some new PCR based assays are available for identifying isolates of Helicobacter from clinical specimens.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Pathol.Home page
L. Maggio-Price, H. Bielefeldt-Ohmann, P. Treuting, B. M. Iritani, W. Zeng, A. Nicks, M. Tsang, D. Shows, P. Morrissey, and J. L. Viney
Dual Infection with Helicobacter bilis and Helicobacter hepaticus in P-Glycoprotein-Deficient mdr1a-/- Mice Results in Colitis that Progresses to Dysplasia
Am. J. Pathol., June 1, 2005; 166(6): 1793 - 1806.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Pathol.Home page
L. Maggio-Price, D. Shows, K. Waggie, A. Burich, W. Zeng, S. Escobar, P. Morrissey, and J. L. Viney
Helicobacter bilis Infection Accelerates and H. hepaticus Infection Delays the Development of Colitis in Multiple Drug Resistance-Deficient (mdr1a-/-) Mice
Am. J. Pathol., February 1, 2002; 160(2): 739 - 751.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Med MicrobiolHome page
S. KABIR
Detection of Helicobacter pylori in faeces by culture, PCR and enzyme immunoassay
J. Med. Microbiol., December 1, 2001; 50(12): 1021 - 1029.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.